6 careers that have staying power

Teachers will see a 17 percent increase in employment, or 281,500 jobs, from 2010 to 2020. The growth is due in large part to declines in student-teacher ratios and an increase in student enrollment. (Thinkstock)

WASHINGTON – It’s certainly job-seeking season with new graduates looking for employment opportunities along with the unemployed and folks just looking for a change of pace.

So how can you choose a career that’s built to last? Yahoo says it has some answers and outlines six hot careers.

Medical and Health Services Manager. According to Yahoo, the U.S. Department of Labor projects employment in this field to grow by 22 percent from 2010 to 2020. That’s about 68,000 new jobs. “The Department says managers will be needed to organize medical information and supervise health care staffs,” Yahoo reports.

Public relations specialist. According to Yahoo, the Department of Labor projects the field to see a 23 percent growth — or more than 58,000 new jobs from 2010 to 2020. Why? Changes are taking place in the communications world, especially on the Internet and social media and that will create more work for public relations workers.

Personal financial advisor. The Department of Labor says just as the health care industry will benefit from baby boomer retirees, this industry will too because boomers will seek financial advice as they reach retirement age. The Department predicts a 32 percent job growth from 2010 to 2020. That’s about 66,400 jobs.

Kindergarten and elementary school teacher. The Department says these teachers will see a 17 percent increase in employment, or 281,500 jobs, from 2010 to 2020. The growth is due in large part to declines in student-teacher ratios and an increase in student enrollment.

Paralegal. The Department says as employers try to reduce costs and increase the efficiency of legal services, they are expected to hire more paralegals. It predicts that paralegals will see an 18 percent job growth, or 46,900 new jobs between now and 2020.

Software developer. This field has the largest number of jobs projected in the top six list. The Department projects 30 percent job growth between now and 2020, which is equal to nearly 271,000 jobs. The increase is anticipated because mobile technology requires new applications and the health care industry is increasing its use of computer systems.